1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to slide door operating systems for a motor vehicle, and more particularly, to automotive slide door operating systems of a type in which when, under closing movement, the slide door comes to a so-called "half-latch position", a latch plate of a door lock device is forced to turn to its full-latch position thereby to forcedly shift the door to a so-called "full-close latched position". More specifically, the present invention is concerned with a detecting device which detects the half-latch and full-latch conditions of the door lock device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In order to clarify the task of the present invention, some of the conventional slide door operating systems of the above-mentioned type will be described.
One of them is a system disclosed in Japanese Patent First Provisional Publication No. 58-178778. In this system, there are employed two limit switches installed in a door lock device, one being used for detecting the half-latch condition of the door lock device and the other being used for detecting the full-latch condition of the same. That is, when a latch plate of the door lock device is turned to the half-latch position, the latch plate actuates one switch, and when the latch plate is turned to the full-latch position, the latch plate actuates the other switch.
Japanese Patent First Provisional Publication No. 1-164647 shows another conventional door operating system. In this system, a power feeding connector is employed, which, when the door comes to a given position close to the full-closed position, establishes an electric connection between an electric power source mounted on the vehicle body and electric devices installed in the door. A half-latch detecting switch is mounted to the connector, which is actuated when the door comes to a half-latch position wherein the door lock device on the door assumes the half-latch condition. A full-latch detecting switch is arranged near the door lock device, which is actuated by a close lever when the latter is pivoted to a given position due to forced turning of the latch plate of the door lock device to the full-latch position.
However, since the above-mentioned conventional systems each use two switches for respectively detecting the half-latch and full-latch conditions or positions, not only the number of parts used increases but also wiring of the switches becomes complicated. Furthermore, it is necessary to provide the door and/or vehicle body with two mounting spaces for mounting the switches therein.